BLACK PANTHER Ratcheting Up To $172m Domestic Opening Weekend

Updated February 13, 2018: Marvel Studios' Black Panther is picking up speed in box office tracking figures, with an estimated current domestic opening four-day holiday weekend box office of between $155 million to $172m, according to Variety. That is the second increase, up from a February 2 estimate of $150m. Black Panther will open in over 4,000 North American theaters this weekend - including 3,300 3-D locations and 400+ Imax secreens.

At this point, Black Panther is set to eclipse 2016's Deadpool - which holds the record for the highest domestic box office in this four-day holiday weekend slot at $152m.

This Chadwick Boseman-fronted film opens Tuesday in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, followed by a broader opening Wednesday in France, Italy, Korea, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Indosia. Many other international markets will open February 15 alongside the United States. Russa, Japan, and China will begin showing the film on February 22, March 1, and March 9, respectively.

Updated February 2, 2018: Black Panther is now tracking for a massive $150 million domestic box office debut, according to Variety. Projections were upped from the $120 million range following the film's "purple carpet" premiere and widespread positive word-of-mouth from those that have seen the film.

That projection puts Black Panther in range to potentially take the President's Day box office record, currently held by 2016's Deadpool, which took in $152 million over the holiday weekend. Fandango previously reported that Black Panther has sold more pre-sale tickets than any other superhero film through the online ticket retailer.

Black Panther is helped by being released over a four-day holiday weekend - rarity for Marvel Studios films.

Original Story: The first box office projections for Marvel Studios' Black Panther have it at an estimated $100 to $120 million North American opening weekend, according to Variety.

If those projects prove accurate, Black Panther would be the highest opening-weekend for a solo debut Marvel Studios film, albiet helped by the four-day holiday opening weekend and discounting Spider-Man: Homecoming given the previous Sony films.

Black Panther opens in theaters February 16, the beginning of a four-day holiday weekend given Presidents' Day in the United States.